Sneha Jaiswal's Blog, page 44

Baban Baban Ban Vampire Episode 8 Review

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Ranmori Mori, the centuries old vampire protagonist of ‘Baban Baban Ban Vampire’, wants to drink the ‘pure’ blood of teenager Rihito after he turns 18, until then, Mori must ensure the young boy isn’t corrupted by girls his age. And except for the misunderstanding that Aoi likes Rihito, Mori doesn’t really have a legitimate rival looking to snatch Rihito away. All that changes in Baban Baban Ban Vampire episode 8!

Titled A Gal and the Vampire, the episode finally introduces Kaoru Yamabe, the purple-haired girl who looks like a bully but is actually being exploited by her alcoholic father. She belongs to the notorious gyaru girl gang known as G4 and is immediately enamored with Rihito, though she hides it by acting aggressively mean toward him. This leads the dense Franken to believe Yamabe is bullying Rihito and is bad news, causing even Mori to be alarmed by the new girls on the scene.

Aoi is barely present in this chapter, and viewers get more glimpses into Yamabe’s life, her friends, and her views about boys. As the episode title suggests, Mori and Yamabe meet, with their first encounter ending on a sour note, though comedic in tone. She calls Mori an ‘old baldie,’ which stuns the immortal vampire, especially since all the other teen girls practically salivate over his good looks.

The character designs for Yamabe’s friends are pretty fun, and Yamabe herself is the most interesting teen character so far. She seems intelligent, hard-working, resilient, and strong-willed, despite the abuse she faces at home from her alcoholic father. If viewers had to pick between Aoi and Yamabe as Rihito’s girlfriend in an online poll, we are already ‘Team Yamabe,’ although overall, we are rooting for Mori to get his long-cherished meal at the end of Baban Baban Ban Vampire. L-O-L.

Now that the love triangles are only getting bigger and more complicated, the next few episodes might be more fun to watch.

Watch Baban Baban Ban Vampire on Netflix.

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Sakamoto Days Episode 8 Review: Saka’s Crew Vs The Lab

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While writing about the sixth episode of Sakamoto Days, I complained that there should have been more focus on the ORDER. Well, that wish is fulfilled in the latest episode of the anime.

Titled Sakamoto vs. The Lab, episode eight begins with a funny little scene of Hana Sakamoto crying that nobody is around when Heisuke Mashimo enters the convenience store. Heisuke then dispatches his pet bird to locate Sakamoto, Shin, and Lu. The scene shifts to the laboratory prison, where Lu encounters someone from Shin’s past. The episode explores both Shin’s childhood flashbacks—revealing how he gained his psychic powers as a feisty little boy – and Sakamoto and Shin’s ongoing battle against a creepy new assassin armed with strange syringes.

The animation quality in this episode is noticeably inconsistent, with some combat sequences appearing choppy and awkward. The movements lack fluidity, but considering the multiple unfolding storylines, the fast pace might keep some viewers engaged enough to overlook the animation flaws.

Episode seven teased the arrival of ORDER members at the same laboratory for their own mission, setting the stage for an even bloodier and more intense battle. Action fans should be thrilled. Meanwhile, there are fleeting emotional moments that highlight how the bond between Sakamoto and his young employees is growing stronger, almost like family.

Overall, this is a decent episode that brings together several key characters while maintaining suspense over the big villain controlling the lab’s operations.

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Heart Stain Series Review: Back to School Basics

Rating: 2 out of 5.

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High school student Woohyun has a hopeless crush on his homeroom teacher and has no intention of acting on it. But when his best friend Doha discovers his secret, they make a bet – they will date until graduation; if U Hyeon falls for Doha by then, Doha wins; if not, they break up and go their separate ways. Who will come out on top?

Only eight episodes long, the 2025 Korean series Heart Stain (하트 스테인) is incredibly basic, somewhat fluffy, and mostly bland. Actor Kim Ji Oh plays the main protagonist, Woohyun, while K-pop idol Ha Min portrays the short, cute Doha. Kang Yeon Jae plays their homeroom teacher, a character who, despite being very good-looking, is unnervingly (maybe even creepily) nice to Woohyun – almost as if he is leading the student on.

At its core, Heart Stain explores two themes: whether finding new love is the best way to get over someone unattainable and the transition from friendship to romance. The plot is simple, and while this could have been a sweet, fluffy romantic series, the onscreen chemistry between Kim Ji Oh and Ha Min as Woohyun and Doha is lackluster. There’s mild comedy generated through their friends, who are slightly clueless about the ongoing romance between their classmates and drowning in their own personal troubles. Actor Shin Si Yea is comedically cute as Sori, the lead pair’s friend, who has a crazy crush on Woohyun’s older brother, and tries to pursue him, despite knowing he is in a relationship. Strangely, we never really get to see this older brother.

The show relies heavily on the usual ‘miscommunication’ trope to create conflict, some of which is hilariously absurd. For instance, when Doha and Woohyun have a falling out, Woohyun’s incessant calls are ignored. These are Gen-Z kids – they thrive on texts and chats. So why not just text to clear up the misunderstanding? Obviously not, then the series will lose material for two more episodes.

Now that viewers have options like ‘Love in the Big City’ and ‘The Eighth Sense’, which explore young love and queer relationships, Korean creatives really need to step up their game in the genre. A show like ‘Heart Stain’ feels ten years too late. But if you’re in the mood for a simple high-school romance which resembles shows from early 2000s, go ahead and check this out.

Rating: 4 on 10. ‘Heart Stain’ is on GagaOolala and iQIYI.

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Apartment 7A and Rosemary’s Baby: The Creepy Connection Explained

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Horror fans, get ready for a trip back to one of the creepiest apartments in movie history. The horror movie Apartment 7A made waves for its unexpected ties to Rosemary’s Baby, the 1968 classic that made paranoia feel all too real. But how exactly do the two movies connect? Let’s dive into the eerie world of old New York apartments, sinister neighbors, and the ever-present feeling that something just isn’t right.

The Legacy of Rosemary’s Baby

If you’ve never seen Rosemary’s Baby, first of all, go fix that. Roman Polanski’s psychological horror masterpiece follows Rosemary Woodhouse, played by Mia Farrow, as she moves into the Bramford, a gothic New York apartment building with her struggling actor husband. What starts as an exciting new chapter quickly turns into a waking nightmare. The neighbors seem a little too interested in Rosemary’s pregnancy, her husband’s career suddenly takes off, and she begins to suspect that something dark is at play. Spoiler alert: she’s not wrong. The baby is… well, let’s just say it’s not exactly normal.

Enter Apartment 7A

Fast forward to Apartment 7A, a psychological thriller with Julia Garner in the lead. While early details were scarce, it was eventually revealed that this movie isn’t just a standalone horror – it’s a prequel to Rosemary’s Baby. Instead of following Rosemary, the film takes a step back to explore the tragic story of Terry Gionoffrio, the young woman who lived in the Bramford before Rosemary moved in.

If you remember from the original movie, Terry is the woman taken in by the creepy Castevets, the elderly couple next door. She seems grateful for their kindness, until she suddenly falls to her death from a window. The official story? Suicide. But Rosemary always felt something was off. Apartment 7A takes that suspicion and runs with it, showing us what really happened in that apartment before Rosemary arrived.

Why This Connection is So Chilling

The beauty of Rosemary’s Baby was always its slow-burn dread. Watching a seemingly normal life unravel into something sinister made it unforgettable. Apartment 7A takes that feeling and amplifies it by adding layers to the story we thought we knew.

Now, instead of starting with Rosemary’s paranoia, we get to see what was happening behind the scenes before she ever set foot in the Bramford. What kind of influence did the Castevets have over Terry? Was she ever really in control of her fate? And most importantly, did her death pave the way for Rosemary’s arrival?

A Horror Universe Worth Revisiting

Horror franchises love their prequels and sequels, but few actually add depth to the original story. Apartment 7A has the potential to do just that. It isn’t just revisiting Rosemary’s Baby for nostalgia – it’s expanding the world in a way that makes you want to rewatch the original with fresh eyes.

For fans of unsettling psychological horror, this connection is a dream – or maybe a nightmare – come true.

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Where The Crawdads Sing Movie Review

Rating: 3 out of 5.

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Known simply as the ‘marsh girl’ to the locals, Kya Clark (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a young girl abandoned by her family, grows up fending for herself, selling mussels to the local store in a place called Barkley Cove. When Chase Andrews (Harris Dickinson), a young man Kya was romantically involved with, is found dead near a tower, she is arrested for murder despite no evidence against her. Now, it is up to her lawyer to save her from the death sentence.

Directed by Olivia Newman, the 2022 movie Where the Crawdads Sing is based on a novel by Delia Owens. Set in 1969, the film opens with beautiful shots of the fictional coastal town of Barkley Cove, which is supposed to be situated in North Carolina. Two little boys find Chase Andrews corpse lying muddied in the marsh and soon, Kya, the protagonist is arrested as the primary suspect. Retired attorney Tom Milton (David Strathairn) volunteers to represent Kya, presenting her side of the story to the town – the outcast constantly judged by those around her.

Where the Crawdads Sing is a drama-thriller with a hint of romance, following Kya’s deep love for nature, birds, and the marsh where she grows up, while also navigating her relationships – first with Tate Walker, then with the arrogant quarterback Chase Andrews. The core mystery is of-course over whether Tate was murdered, or if it was a simple case of accidentally from the tower to his death. Daisy Edgar-Jones narrates the tale as Kya, recalling how she grew up with an alcoholic father after being deserted by her brothers and mother. When her father also leaves, Kya grows up alone, shunned by the rest of the town except for a kind Black couple who run a convenience store. Taylor John Smith plays Tate Walker, a young man, who befriends Kya, teaching her to read and write.

Kya seems to have been imagined as an alternate version of Mowgli. Though not raised by animals, she grows up in the wilderness, largely isolated from society. Despite this, she blossoms into a beautiful young woman, attractive to men her age, even though ‘decent families’ would not want their sons to date the ‘marsh girl.’ Daisy Edgar-Jones is vulnerably charming as Kya, a curious naturalist happiest in the lap of nature, collecting feathers and watching birds. But at the end of the day, she is still human, falling for the ‘wrong’ guy and facing the heartbreaking consequences of being a poor, abandoned child who had to raise herself. Class divide, social prejudice, and domestic violence are major themes in the film, while Kya’s independence and self-reliance as a lone young woman shines through the runtime.

The chemistry between the characters is very lukewarm, so it is the cinematography, background music, and minor suspense over Chase’s actual fate that keep Where the Crawdads Sing entertaining. As a viewer, one knows there can only be three possible outcomes to the story, creating a constant element of predictability, even though the writers throw in some red herrings to confuse the audience. Unfortunately for me, my first guess about what really happened turned out to be true. Regardless, this was a fun one-time watch.

Rating: 3 on 5. Watch the film on Netflix.

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Apotemnofilia: Short Horror Film Review

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Artist Clara is preparing to perform in a packed theater, but just seconds before the show is about to start, she begins to hear strange sounds. While her mother frantically knocks on the door of her dressing room, Clara battles dark demons within. Will she make it to the stage before the curtains rise?

Directed and written by Jano Pita, the 2023 short horror film Apotemnofilia stars Lucía Azcoitía as protagonist Clara, who struggles with body dysmorphia after giving birth. Only nine minutes long, the movie opens with an unsettling scene of Clara putting in a contact lens. The moment is disturbing because, knowing it is a horror movie, a woman jabbing at her eye could easily turn bloody and gory. And while she does not stab herself, the violence begins soon enough.

Apotemnofilia is a frantic film, with tension heightened by the fact that Clara is supposed to be performing for a packed audience but refuses to leave the dressing room. Amid frantic knocks and constant pleas to open the door, Clara is trapped in her own twisted reality. If you are not a fan of body horror, you will find Clara’s ordeal difficult to endure.

While the runtime is too brief to deeply explore any particular theme, the film still manages to convey the struggles of first-time mothers and the terrifying changes that come with motherhood. As an artist, Clara is expected to immediately bounce back to a glamorous life, performing on stage with little time to adjust to her new reality. Though predictable, and violently exaggerated, Apotemnofilia disturbingly captures the paranoia, anxiety, and fears of new mothers.

Rating: 3 on 5. Watch the film on YouTube.

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The Substance Review: Beauty is a Bloodied Beast

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Five of us rented ‘The Substance’ on Prime Video on my suggestion, and there was a definite divide between us over its content.

“What are you making us watch?!”

One of them questioned me, puzzled, as the camera zoomed into the bloodied body of Demi Moore’s character Elizabeth, lying naked on a bathroom floor with white tiles.

“I told you… it’s a body horror thriller!”

I had only seen a small teaser for the film, so frankly, I wasn’t sure how much gore and blood to expect either. And woah, woah, woah… nobody among the five of us (three women, two men) were prepared for the amount of nudity on display. If nothing else, there’s plenty of boobs and blood to go around.

Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, ‘The Substance’ follows how a famous actor succumbs to the temptation of trying out a mysterious black-market drug that promises people a ‘younger, better version’ of them. Demi Moore is Elizabeth, the actor protagonist, who is booted out of her fitness show for a younger host. Desperate and down in the dumps, she tries the drug, simply called ‘The Substance’, and the result is hair-raising.  Margaret Qualley plays Sue, the ‘better’ version of Elizabeth, almost plastic-doll like in her perfection. The catch is that Sue and Elizabeth are one person, but they must alternate every week, maintaining a balance between their two selves. Sounds pretty easy until things go morbidly wrong.

The film opens with a strange shot of an egg yolk splitting, looking more like a film studio’s intro logo sequence – think MGM’s iconic lion roaring at the start of movies – so no one except me paid attention. “Guys, I think the movie has already started!”. It had, with some subtle foreshadowing. Next is a sequence featuring a star on the Walk of Fame dedicated to Elizabeth, which endures various forms of wear and tear over the years. Finally, we meet Demi Moore’s Elizabeth, whose fitness level is jaw-dropping, despite creepy male studio executives who think she is too old to have her own TV show.

‘The Substance’ is like a modern horror mash of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Grey’ and Park Jae Joon’s ‘Lookism’ – all of these dwell into the impact surface level beauty has on an individual’s life. But Coraline Fargeat really amps up the ugly side of beauty in her film, giving viewers a shockingly fascinating look at body dysphoria. The cost of looking ‘perfect’ for longer than the natural process of aging comes at a bloody high price for Elizabeth. The initial gains are quick, the eventual experience painfully slow and horrifying.

There is an overdose of nudity in the film, with many close-up shots of breasts, buttocks, and other body parts, which instantly highlights the entertainment industry’s obsession with skin show, something director Coralie Fargeat deliberately overemphasizes. It honestly gets a little irritating, to keep seeing a half-naked Margaret Qualley thrusting and squatting through half the runtime. Instead, a little more action would’ve in the tale would’ve made the pace bearable. Although, on the other hand, its the slow pace that make the sudden bursts of violence outright scary and hard to digest. I definitely screamed a bunch of times and looked away from the screen more than twice.

With its 2 hour 21 minutes runtime, ‘The Substance’ remains dark, serious, and tediously slow for the first two hours, while descending into comedic absurdity in its climactic last minutes. It feels like you’ve turned on a completely different film in the end. The word ‘bloodbath’ is on literal display towards the end, only movies like Saw and that one Evil Dead flick where a flood of blood inundates the creepy cottage characters are trapped in. The creators use a lot of practical special effects in the film, which makes a lot of the ‘scary’ scenes creepy as hell. Demi Moore’s transformation from a beautiful star to a corrupted, rotting piece of living human meat is tragically-comic.

In-fact, both Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley are riveting in their roles, the difference in their age brought out starkly by the make-up team, but strangely, their world exists in a weird bubble. Margaret as Sue is largely just a trophy piece, but towards the ends of the film, she transforms into an unhinged, out of control diva, out to destroy her own self. The pressures of looking a certain way is insanely brought out in ‘The Substance’, even though a lot of parts do not make sense. And I feel like repeating how slow the movie is, it could’ve been 20 minutes shorter, if not more.

“She was traumatized by the boobs but was happy with the blood. I was happy with the boobs but traumatized by the blood.” – that’s how one of the guys recommended ‘The Substance’ to another friend, a few hours after we were done with the film. While not necessarily traumatizing, it’s a disturbing piece of cinema that body horror fans would probably enjoy, especially those with tolerance for slow thrills.

Rating: 6 on 10. The Substance is on Hulu and Prime Video.

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Futtara Doshaburi: When It Rains, It Pours Review- Romance Drenched in Restraint

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Office worker Hagiwara Kazuaki feels suffocated in his relationship with his girlfriend Shinomiya, a nail technician, who inexplicably stops getting intimate with him a few months after they start dating. Meanwhile, Nakarai Sei, another young man, is in a frustrating ‘situationship’ with his childhood friend, Fujisawa Kazuaki, who agrees to live with and be by Nakarai’s side ‘forever’ but refuses to have any kind of physical contact with him. When Hagiwara accidentally sends an email to Nakarai, the two become online friends, finding comfort in each other’s words until they realize they are colleagues. What next? Will they slip back into mundane, customary conversations that colleagues have? Or will their connection get deeper?

Directed by Tomita Miki and Takahashi Natsuki, the Japanese series When It Rains, It Pours is based on the novel of the same name by Ichiho Michi. The seven-episode show stars Muto Jun as the genial, friendly salesman Hagiwara Kazuaki, while Ito Asahi portrays the asocial, aloof Nakarai Sei. This is a slow-burn romance that explores how two lonely individuals become close while exchanging emails. Lack of sexual fulfillment and infidelity are thus the primary themes of the series.

The initial pace of When It Rains, It Pours is challenging, so if you’re looking for a fast-moving story with lots of romance, this show isn’t it. On the other hand, the creators poignantly capture the loneliness of being in a relationship where partners struggle to vocalize what they truly desire. Kitamura Yui plays Hagiwara’s cheery girlfriend Shinomiya, who seems to be genuinely fond of Hagiwara yet nonchalantly keeps rejecting his attempts to initiate lovemaking. “Later” or “maybe some other time” is her usual response. Matsumoto Hiroki plays the enigmatic Fujisawa Kazuaki, a handsome designer living with Nakarai, but the nature of their relationship is unclear. They aren’t boyfriends, but neither is their bond as platonic as friendship.

Both protagonists – Nakarai and Hagiwara – face a similar predicament: they are both living with someone they love deeply, but their physical desires are left unfulfilled. However, their personalities are quite different. Hagiwara Kazuaki avoids directly communicating with his girlfriend, both out of cowardice and concern, as he doesn’t want to fight or make things awkward between them. Nakarai Sei, on the other hand, bashfully demands sex from Fujisawa and yet is blatantly rejected. Constantly pushed away by their partners, the men gravitate toward each other through email, while the episodes also show how they interact as colleagues, unaware that they are emailing each other.

Episode three is where When It Rains, It Pours really picks up intrigue, as the creators cleverly depict the email exchanges between the leads. By splitting the screen in two, they showcase how each character navigates their mundane daily life while confiding in one another about their problems. Flashbacks also reveal the ‘meet-cute’ between Hagiwara and Shinomiya, and how, despite a sweet start, they drift apart. The show steadily keeps up the suspense over the intentions and motives of the partners. We don’t know why Shinomiya and Fujisawa refuse to indulge in physical intimacy until the end. Are they asexual? Are they secretly seeing someone else? Or have they simply lost interest in their partners but are too comfortable to call it quits? It could be anything.

Muto Jun is endearing as Hagiwara, the least grey character in When It Rains, It Pours, someone who is ‘too nice’ for his own good, a trait his girlfriend takes for granted. Ito Asahi’s Nakarai Sei often resembles a lifeless zombie going about his day, the life sucked out of him by unrequited love, compounded by the grief of losing his parents. Matsumoto Hiroki is intriguing as Fujisawa Kazuaki, the most complex character in the tale, with some scenes hinting that he may have sadomasochistic tendencies, perhaps deriving pleasure from tormenting Nakarai. He has the classic look of a ‘bad boy’ – a manipulative charmer who tries to isolate Nakarai to have more control over his life.

There’s no instant attraction between Hagiwara and Nakarai, and the chemistry between them is also lukewarm – which makes sense, because their initial interactions are as colleagues. They are tired, defeated, depressed, lonely working men simply finding solace in the newfound comfort of having someone to listen to them. This bond is meticulously built over the first half of the show, so when the two finally get together in the latter half of the series, you expect some stormy, messy, steamy sex, but instead get Nakarai lying like a corpse while a nervous Hagiwara does all the work. The scene fails to capture either character’s emotional state or the relief of finally expressing pent-up desires. For a series centered around sex, the creators play it too safe in the bedroom, like most Japanese shows in the genre. The 2023 drama End of the World with You is one of the rare titles where creators depict sweaty sensuality between the sheets, and the story didn’t necessarily demand it – unlike the plot of When It Rains, It Pours. Although there are moments of tenderness between Nakarai and Hagiwara, that bring out their eventual attraction, the background score helps the plot by leaps and bounds.

Apart from a great soundtrack, one of the stronger elements in the show is the maturity the characters display in their interactions, even when the subject at hand is unpleasant. A climactic confrontation between Hagiwara and Shinomiya is executed smoothly, with the estranged couple finally spilling the beans on what’s been happening on both sides. Unfortunately, the season finale (episode 7), which ultimately reveals Fujisawa’s frigid, frustrating conduct toward Nakarai, is exceedingly underwhelming. In fact, the final episode is a complete disappointment, even though it gives the protagonists a conclusive ending.

When It Rains, It Pours needed at least another episode, or possibly just a few more minutes, to have a more stable climax. Things feel rushed, and the writing drowns in high-school-level clichés. But despite all its flaws, the show is an entertaining watch, especially for slow-burn romance fans who have a weak spot for morally grey protagonists.

Rating: 7 on 10. Watch the series on GagaOolala.

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Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy-All You Need to remember

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Bridget Jones is back, and this time, she’s navigating life as a single mom in Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy. If it’s been a while since you last saw her chaotic yet lovable adventures, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Before diving into the 2025 movie, here’s a quick refresher on everything you need to remember about Bridget’s story so far.

Bridget Jones 101

Bridget Jones (played by Renée Zellweger) first won hearts in Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001), where she was a 30-something Londoner balancing work, friendships, and her romantic misadventures. She had a major crush on her boss, Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant), but also found herself drawn to the serious but sweet Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). By the end, after plenty of awkward moments, diary entries, and misunderstandings, she realized Mark was the right guy for her.

In Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004), Bridget and Mark tried to make their relationship work, but her insecurities (and an unfortunate trip to a Thai prison) caused a rough patch. Still, love won in the end.

Then came Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016), where things took a surprising turn. Bridget, now in her 40s and single again, found herself unexpectedly pregnant – without knowing if the father was Mark or a charming American named Jack Qwant (Patrick Dempsey). The baby turned out to be Mark’s, and the film ended with them getting married.

What to Expect in Mad About the Boy

Fast-forward to Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, based on Helen Fielding’s book. This time, things are very different. Mark Darcy has tragically passed away, leaving Bridget a widow raising their two kids. She’s back in the dating world, trying to figure out love and life in her 50s. Expect plenty of hilarious and heartwarming moments as she juggles work, motherhood, and romance while still being the Bridget we know and love.

Colin Firth won’t be back, but Hugh Grant is returning as Daniel Cleaver, which could mean some old sparks reigniting. With a new love interest played by Leo Woodall (One Day, The White Lotus), Bridget’s journey is far from over.

Should You Watch the Old Movies First?

If you’ve never seen a Bridget Jones movie before, you can probably still enjoy Mad About the Boy on its own. But if you want to fully appreciate her history – especially the Mark Darcy romance that shaped her life – watching at least the first and third films (Bridget Jones’s Diary and Bridget Jones’s Baby) will help.

Summer of the Monsters Review: Easy Horror Read, but It Spoils Itself Too Soon

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)

Set somewhere in the times of Walkmans and CD players, the horror novel Summer of the Monsters by David Sodergren follows the nightmarish misadventures of 16-year-old Lucy Brannigan in a new town inhabited by bloodthirsty monsters.

One thing that author David does in the introductory chapter is both a big advantage and a disadvantage to the plotline, depending on the kind of reader you are. If you easily get anxious due to suspense and prolonged violent scenes, you’d be happy to know that while the story is about teen Lucy’s experiences in a hellish town crawling with creepy, human-eating creatures, the novel begins with Lucy as a 40-something woman reminiscing about the worst summer of her life. But for readers who love to be on the edge of their seats (or beds, or wherever it is that you like to read), it’s a bummer, since we know that no matter what happens, Lucy is going to survive.

So, the novel unfolds in flashbacks as we meet teen Lucy, who isn’t thrilled about moving from the big city to a secluded farmhouse in an obscure little town called Helsbridge with her widowed author dad, where there’s nothing to do and no friends to spend the summer with. But within the very first week of her stay in Helsbridge, Lucy makes an unlikely new friend, gets horribly bullied, and learns of grotesque, human-eating monsters that try to kill her in the woods near her new home. Helsbridge is basically like a literal bridge between the human world and hell, and the town is rife with myths and legends about the monsters. Lucy’s dad being completely broke makes it even harder for them to leave, and with potential romantic prospects emerging for both father and daughter, they find more reasons to stay.

Lucy has multiple near-death experiences, but each time she is surrounded by monsters, I would tell myself, “Oh yeah, she isn’t going to die.” But despite that lack of significant tension, what I liked best about this horror novel is how the author keeps things moving, even though you have the usual primary teen plot of awkward new girl in a town where almost everybody is mean to her or ignores her. The only ‘real friend’ Lucy makes is a creature in the woods near her house, a character that reminded me of Buckbeak from the Harry Potter books. The friendship felt a little contrived, but I’m pretty sure a lot of readers might find it endearing. The asocial teen who befriends an animal is a well-established ‘cute’ trope.

There are plenty of deaths, more than I expected, and the ending is full of hate, violence, and betrayal. The pace tends to be choppy, and the monsters are described as crab-like creatures with hideous body parts, reminiscent of several other ‘monsters’ in many horror stories. But the novel is an easy read, and the disappointment over the predictable parts of Summer of the Monsters is washed over by a tense climax where lots of people die gory deaths. And that’s how horror novels should be.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars. Summer of the Monsters is also available on Kindle Unlimited.

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